It’s been quite the start to life at the helm for Arne Slot, who has inherited Jurgen Klopp’s squad at Liverpool and recorded 11 victories in 12 matches across all competitions thus far – a club record.
The Premier League’s table toppers, who have also won each of their three opening Champions League contests, boast one of the most formidable frontlines across Europe, with Slot’s system also reviving Virgil van Dijk’s defence to redoubtable status.
But there’s an elephant in the room, and it’s starting to become a noisy one. Skipper Van Dijk, homegrown vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and all-powerful talisman Mohamed Salah are just over two months away from being free to negotiate with suitors overseas for a pre-contract agreement.
The superstars’ Liverpool deals are firmly into their final year, and though it’s unthinkable, contingency plans must be taken. The £350k-per-week Salah is the highest-paid player on the books, and, understandably, FSG are looking at long-term successors.
Liverpool weighing up move for Salah heir
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool and Arsenal have sent scouts to watch Arda Güler in action and will pounce if anything changes in the prodigious talent’s situation at Real Madrid.
The Turkey international, 19, signed for Los Blancos in July 2023 for a reported €20m (£17m) fee, but he’s struggling to find space in Carlo Ancelotti’s superteam and may move for pastures new if the situation does not improve.
Newcastle United were interested earlier in 2024 and Spanish sources claimed that a bid of €80m (£67m) would convince Real to sell, though this exorbitant valuation might deter suitors such as thrifty Liverpool.
Arda Güler's talent in numbers
Replacing Salah with a teenager might feel like a foolish move, but Güler is a remarkable player and has already showcased his ability to step up in big moments, as he did for his nation at Euro 2024 this summer.
And he’s hardly flattered to deceive when blessed with football on the prestigious Santiago Bernabeu pitch, having scored six goals from just 23 appearances, of which only eight have come from the outset.
Güler, let’s be clear, is jockeying for the agency of success against the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior – de facto Ballon d’Or winner – and Rodrygo, with Endrick and Brahim Diaz also pushing for minutes of their own.
His lack of action is by no means a negation of the stunning skillset that impelled Florentino Perez and his transfer team to fork out funds for his signature, right at the fledgling phase.
As per FBref, despite his lack of minutes, Güler ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 6% for pass completion and the top 10% for tackles won per 90.
Examine Güler’s statistics from another angle. As per Sofascore, the winger has only started three La Liga games this term but has created three big chances, completed 88% of his passes, averaged 1.3 key passes per outing and won 61% of his ground duels.
Van Dijk, by comparison, has only won 50% of his ground duels in the Premier League under Slot’s management – though there’s no need to worry about that one.
Güler’s metrics point toward worth, such worth, that will have convinced Liverpool bosses, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, that this is a player worth investing in.
Of course, the only way that the £83k-per-week talent would be signed by Liverpool is if Salah does indeed leave at the end of the term, but if he does, this might just be the perfect young buck to keep Slot’s attack purring.
Why Arda Güler could succeed Salah
Salah might turn 33 next summer but there’s little notion that this supreme athlete is set to suffer a nosedive in performance any time soon.
He’s scored seven goals and added seven more assists across just 12 matches so far in 2024/25, starting 11 times. Pundit Gary Neville recently hailed the prolific winger as a “superstar” and the praise couldn’t be more apt.
With each passing season, never falling off, Salah is proving that he’s indeed one of the finest to ply their art on English soil, and his efforts under Slot’s leadership might just hold sway in the pursuit of the biggest silver prizes.
Mohamed Salah
12 (11)
7
7
Luis Diaz
11 (7)
5
1
Diogo Jota
10 (9)
4
2
Cody Gakpo
12 (5)
2
2
Darwin Nunez
9 (4)
2
1
Federico Chiesa
3 (1)
0
1
Salah’s ball-striking ability has foiled incalculable defences, but in Güler, FSG might just find the second coming, especially since he’s been hailed as a “magician with a wand of a left foot” by one scout.
Though the Egyptian’s absurd consistency in front of goal is something that simply cannot be replicated, Real’s teenage talent has showcased a clinical edge and carries the full package besides.
160 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League (plus two for Chelsea) leave him joint-ninth in the all-time scoring charts, with just 16 goals required to leapfrog Chelsea legend Frank Lampard into sixth place.
Replacing him is a daunting task indeed, and even if Salah does pen fresh terms, extending his time at the club by a couple more years, prudently bringing in an heir would be a good call.
Who better than Güler? Though Real Madrid will view the Turk in their long-term plans, he might not find regular minutes coming his way for several seasons yet, and Liverpool can be sure to put together a compelling case to move to Anfield.
A magician of a young player, this would be a statement of intent to send waves of excitement rippling across Merseyside.
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